…current individual health insurance market.” By way of comparison, the Senate Commerce Committee has found that the average MLR for the largest insurers in the individual market is only 74…
The Obama administration’s confidence game on administrative savings
…the new market rules: • The influx of new enrollees in response to the individual mandate and new subsidies—combined with the creation of new insurance exchanges—would create larger purchasing pools…
Cancer chemotherapy: Killing them not so softly
…under a well designed single payer national health program. NICE: http://www.nice.org.uk An extra: Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly (Imagine the oncologist “singing my life with his words”) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1eOsMc2Fgg…
Beware of Medicare Advantage for All
AHIP19: Cigna's Cordani says it's time to press pause on 'Medicare-for-All' talk—but change is necessary
…to strengthen the public-private partnerships they operate today—Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care being the two prime examples—and pivot toward work that keeps people healthy in the first place. https://www.fiercehealthcare.com……
Overuse and underuse of health care
…wellbeing of patients, professionals, and the public as a whole are too great to condone inaction. http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(16)32586-7.pdf *** Comment: By Don McCanne, M.D. Considering the amount of money we spend…
Is it time to nationalize the drug industry?
…launches its keenly awaited new heart failure drug Entresto, the Swiss company’s head of pharmaceuticals said on Tuesday. Entresto, also known as LCZ696, is the first new drug in decades…
Obama, Berwick, Krugman and others on IPAB
…IPAB has too much power. It’s that it doesn’t have enough. http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Blogs/Gooz-News/2011/04/20/Gooz-News-Health-Reform-Assumes-Its-Role-as-a-Punching-Bag.aspx Today’s quotes provide tastes of the broad spectrum of political flavors inspired by the establishment of the Independent…
Obama, Berwick, Krugman and others on IPAB
The Independent Payment Advisory Board: A New Approach to Controlling Medicare Spending
…the only thing they can really do is cut payment rates.” In other words, the problem isn’t that IPAB has too much power. It’s that it doesn’t have enough. http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Blogs/Gooz-News/2011/04/20/Gooz-News-Health-Reform-Assumes-Its-Role-as-a-Punching-Bag.aspx…
Europe leads in pharmaceutical research
…risks over existing treatments. Publicly funded trials would also reduce cost and risk for pharmaceutical companies and increase competition from smaller firms by lowering the high cost barrier that company-funded…
Celebrate New York’s victory, but get back to work!
…to veto the measure. It takes 34 votes to override a mayoral veto. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/17/AR2005081701892.html Comment: The New York City Council should be commended for passing this beneficial measure. Advocates of…
Richard Gottfried's response to insurers cheating on out-of-network payments
…Gottfried of Manhattan is chairman of the state Assembly Committee on Health.) http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Let-New-York-Health-help-pay-the-bills-3451653.php Yesterday’s Quote of the Day message explained how, in a legal settlement, private insurers were required to…
New America Foundation implicitly endorses single payer
…New America Foundation About New America The New America Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy institute that invests in new thinkers and new ideas to address the next generation…